Vegan Food for People on Feeding Tubes

At the October 2015 meeting of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, there was a display by Real Food Blends from Chesterton, Indiana. They have an option that they say contains one serving of fruits and vegetables and is vegetarian.

Their information states:

• 100% real food, blenderized meals for people on feeding tubes.
• Ready to use for bolus (syringe) feeding.
• Convenient 12 pack, 9.4 oz. net weight per meal (yields 330 calories in an 8 ounce serving.)
• No refrigeration needed! Shelf-stable for 3 years from date of manufacturing.
• Ingredients: Water, kale, grape juice concentrate, hemp powder, extra virgin olive oil, quinoa, and cinnamon. (No corn syrup, dairy, soy, or nuts.)

Real Food Blends meals are 100% real food puréed meals for use in a feeding tube. The three varieties of Real Food Blends meals are meant to complement an enteral formula diet, giving nutritional variety and real food to a tube-fed person. For people that practice a blenderized diet, these meals can be used as a convenient, on-the-go alternative to enteral formulas.

The Quinoa, Kale and Hemp meal contains only seven ingredients (see above). These blenderized meals are made shelf-stable through the same heating process that keeps baby foods on shelves. Real Food Blends meals are thicker than traditional enteral formulas, and are intended to be bolus fed with a syringe. Additional liquid can be added to thin out these meals for use in a feeding tube pump or smaller feeding tubes.

Always consult with your medical professionals before making any changes to your prescribed enteral (tube-feeding) formula, and before starting a blenderized diet. For more information, see: https://real-food-blends.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/products/quinoa-meal-multi-pack?_ga=1.221041880.1998332615.1444327858